CHAPTER VII
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KUALII’S RETURN TO OAHU FROM MOLOKAI.
After Kualii completed the redivision of the lands of Molokai, those pertaining to the chiefs as well as to the people, he returned to Oahu accompanied by his companions, his chief warriors. Upon arriving from Molokai he proceeded on his way to Kailua where he found that the chiefs and people were all living in peace. After residing on Oahu for some time Kualii again set out for Hawaii and again took up his residence in Hilo, this being the third time that he decided to go and live there. After Kualii had been living in Hilo for some time word was brought to him that war had broken out on Lanai, caused by Kauhi, son of Kauhiakama; the chief of Lanai having taken up arms against the son of Kauhiakama, one of Kamalalawalu’s ministers. Following is the story of this battle:
Haloalena, the chief of Lanai, was considered a very good ruler. His great favorite pastime was the collection of the skeletons of birds. When the chief’s bird tax was about due it was the usual custom of the agents to go out and proclaim the chief’s wishes. Following was the proclamation announced by the agents:
Tomorrow cook the food. The following day, [Is] the snaring of birds for the king. Pick the feathers off the birds, Pick all the meat, Be careful with the bones lest you break them. If the bones are broken and you are a chief of a district You shall no longer be a district chief; If you are a chief of an ahupuaa [632] You shall no longer be chief of that ahupuaa; If it be a common farmer who breaks the bones of the bird, Death shall be his portion.
This was the king’s constant proclamation to the people in order that they be informed of his law. After a person has cleaned the skeleton of a bird it is then carried into one of the king’s warehouses and there made to stand. These skeletons are picked clean of their meat and are stood up in rows in their storehouses. After the king’s wishes are carried out he is then sent for to come and look at the skeletons. After looking through one house he would go to the next one and inspect the skeletons in that house. This was Haloalena’s usual way of passing his time. After inspection the king would retire to his house.
Once upon a time Kauhi happened to be in Lanai and saw the king returning to his house one day after inspecting his skeletons. Kauhi then went into Haloalena’s storehouses with long poles and knocked down all the skeletons from their places, and he kept this up until he had gone through all the storehouses of the chief of Lanai. When the king heard that Kauhi had entered the storehouses and had destroyed all his skeletons he sent for the son of Kauhiakama and asked him: “Whose mischievous son art thou?” Kauhi answered without fear: “Kauhiakama’s.” Haloalena again asked him: “Was it Kauhiakama that told you to destroy all my skeletons?” Kauhi replied: “Kauhiakama did not tell me to destroy the skeletons in your storehouses, but what he told me was to come and act in a mischievous manner and to be fearless. This was all he told me; therefore I came and acted mischievously.” This was the cause of the hostilities between the king of Lanai and the king of Maui, and the reason why the king of Lanai wanted to be independent and not be any longer under the king of Maui. At this time the chiefs of Lanai were under the control of Kamalalawalu, king of Maui.
When Kualii heard of this proposed war he set sail from Hilo and first touched at Kaupo where he found that the Maui chiefs had gone to Lanai. Upon hearing this Kualii continued on his way to Lanai and landed at Wailehua. Upon his arrival at this place Kualii saw a fleet of war canoes in Kekaa. Kamalalawalu at this time was on Lanai with his army waiting for the return of Haloalena when the fight would commence. When Haloalena heard that Kualii was on his way to this war he decided to wait with his fleet of war canoes at Kekaa. On the next day the news of Kualii’s arrival at Wailehua was carried to Haloalena. Immediately upon hearing this he started off to meet Kualii and entreat him to take up his cause and fight Kamalalawalu.
That night Kualii and the chiefs of Lanai sailed under the lee side of Kaena as directed by the people who were acquainted with the place. All that night until the next day Kualii’s canoes were moored along the beach at Manele. [In the meantime Kamalalawalu was still waiting for Haloalena.] After a time Kamalalawalu grew anxious and sent for his messenger Hinau and instructed him to make a circuit of Lanai. When Hinau arrived at Manele he saw Kualii’s fleet of canoes moored there, and according to their appearance judged them to be war canoes. Upon making this discovery Hinau drew closer with the intention of ascertaining if they were Haloalena’s. He did not, however, see Haloalena and Kualii, but by the paddlers he recognized Haloalena’s canoes, and by the shape and appearance of the others he was positive they belonged to Kualii.
Upon making this last discovery Hinau returned to Kamalalawalu and informed him of what he had seen in the following words: “I ran by way of Maunalei to Kaena without seeing the king. From this last place I continued to Manele and there I saw some canoes moored along the beach which had the appearance of war canoes. Upon making this discovery I drew closer so as to ascertain their true character. I did not, however, see the chiefs who owned the canoes, but I saw the king’s paddlers; they appeared to me to be Haloalena’s men, and the other canoes looked like those of Kualii. I did not, however, see Kualii.”
When Kamalalawalu heard Hinau speak of Kualii, he immediately sent for some soldiers and ordered them to go and bring Kualii. When Kauhi heard the orders given to the soldiers he thereupon set out and ran to Manele to meet Kualii without receiving any orders from Kamalalawalu to do so, but took it upon himself to be the first person to bring Kualii. When Kauhi arrived at the place where the canoes moored he first looked for Haloalena’s canoes and upon ascertaining which canoes were his, this mischievous son of Kauhiakama unfastened the rope that held Haloalena’s canoes to the shore and dropped it in the sea. At this time a strong breeze was blowing and the canoes were carried out to sea, leaving Kualii’s canoes by themselves at their mooring place. Kauhi next took up the rope which held Kualii’s canoes to the shore and pulling on it drew them toward him and when near he jumped aboard, approached Kualii and sat on his lap. By the action of the boy Kualii knew he was a mischievous fellow and therefore asked him: “Whose mischievous son art thou?” Kauhi replied: “Kauhiakama’s.” Kualii again asked him: “Did Kauhiakama tell you to come and sit on my lap?” Kauhi replied: “Yes, he told me to sit on your lap.”
Because of these positive replies made by Kauhi, Kualii made up his mind to go to Kauhiakama and ask him directly on the matter. Kualii then set off with Kauhi on their way to meet Kamalalawalu. Upon coming up to Kamalalawalu and his company, Kualii turned to Kauhiakama and asked him: “Is this your son Kauhi?” Kauhiakama replied: “Yes, my own son.” Kualii again asked him: “Was it you who told him to come and sit on my lap?” Kauhiakama replied: “I did not tell that deceitful boy to go and sit on your lap, O King.” Kualii remarked: “He told me that you had told him to sit on my lap.” Kauhiakama then replied: “What a deceitful boy; send for that mischievous boy.” Kauhi was then sent for and he was brought in the presence of Kauhiakama his father and was then asked: “Say, Kauhi, is it true that you told the king (Kualii) that it was I that had instructed you to go and sit on his lap?” Kauhi replied: “Yes, you told me to do it.” The father then said: “You are indeed a deceitful boy. When did I tell you to do such a thing?”
Kauhi then answered his father without fear: “Here is what you told me. While I was teasing the boys and was pulling up our newly planted fields till you had about enough of my mischievous capers, you then spoke to me in the following words: ‘At last I am sick and tired of your capers; the best thing for you to do is to go and behave this way in the presence of the king, there you can cut as much of your capers as you like.’ These were your very words to me, and that is the reason why I acted the way I did to the king.”
Because Kauhi spoke the way he did to his father, Kualii made up his mind that Kauhi had in him the makings of a brave soldier, and thereupon took him as one of his soldiers. In course of time Kauhi proved to be what Kualii had predicted of him and was made his chief warrior, even over Maheleana and Malanaihaehae.
The battle prepared by Haloalena was declared off by Kualii, and Lanai once more came under the rule of Kamalalawalu. Shortly after this, Kualii returned to Oahu taking Kauhi along with him.
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